PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP: Contaminated Reuse Water Used In Fracking Overtopped Containment; Tank Truck Carrying Contaminated Water Rolls Over At Range Resources Appalachia Shale Gas Well Pad In Lycoming County

On August 28, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection inspected the Range Resources Appalachia LLC Laurel Hill B shale gas well pad in response to a notification of a release of contaminated water at the pad located in Cogan House Township, Lycoming County.

DEP said a filter pod associated with a WMGR123 permitted contaminated water reuse facility on the pad failed causing a release of water outside containment and down over the hillside at the pad.

Upon arriving, DEP said Range Resources said the spill involved 15 to 20 gallons, however, photos show and the inspection report describes a larger area of contamination down the well pad slope.

Field measurements show very high conductivity readings in the areas being excavated to remove contaminated soil

“Range Resources determined that they would proceed with remediating the spill through the Act 2 [Land Recycling Program] process due to the spill being larger than initially estimated.”

Multiple violations were issued and DEP requested a response by September 21.

Click Here for the August 28 DEP inspection report + photos.

DEP did a follow-up inspection on September 2 that found weather did not allow further remediation of the impacted area and the cleanup contractor did not complete excavation of contaminated soil.

A small sump was built to collect impacted water and field measures found elevated readings in several areas.

Click Here for the September 2 inspection report + photos.

Contaminated Truck Rollover

While DEP was at the Laurel Hill pad-- “a water truck delivering the reuse [contaminated] water to the WMGR123 [water reuse facility] proceeded to drive off the access road causing the truck to roll over.

The truck did not lose any of its load. Contaminated water was offloaded and taken to the reuse facility and the truck was righted.

Some diesel fuel was lost. The contaminated soil would be excavated..

Violations were issued and a response requested by September 21.

Click Here for the DEP inspection report + photos.

Report Violations

To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.

Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.

Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.

(Photos: Release overtopped containment and eroded the slope; Contaminated soil on hillside being excavated; Contaminated water truck drove off access road and rolled over.)

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

[Note: These may not be all the NOVs issued to oil and gas companies during this time period. Additional inspection reports may be added to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.]

PA Oil & Gas Industry, Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Snapshot - August 29 to September 4 [PaEN]

-- DEP: Shell Petrochemical Plant Pays Another $15 Million In Penalties For Latest Air Pollution Violations In Beaver County; Air Pollution Penalties Total $27.6 Million Since Plant Opened [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Files Lawsuit To Preempt Criminal Charges By PA Attorney General In Bucks County Jet Fuel Pipeline Spill, Asks For State Clean Streams Law To Be Declared Unconstitutional [PaEN]

-- DEP: An Estimated 336,000 Gallons Of Fracking Flowback Water Was Released During An Uncontrolled Shale Gas Well Incident At The INR OPR LLC Cooper Well Pad In Young Twp., Indiana County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 1,331: Big Dog Energy LLC Shale Gas Well Pad Lacks Secondary Containment To Contain Spills, Has No Emergency Response Plan In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 2,447: American Natural Resources LLC Fails To Comply, Does Not Respond To Order To Plug 6 Conventional Wells It Abandoned In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 221: HR McClure Fails To Plug 3 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells It Abandoned In Greene County; Failed To Submit Production, Waste, Well Integrity Reports For 5 Years [PaEN]

-- DEP: Contaminated Reuse Water Used In Fracking Overtopped Containment; Tank Truck Carrying Contaminated Water Rolls Over At Range Resources Appalachia Shale Gas Well Pad In Lycoming County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 545: Oil & Gas MGMT Inc Failed To Finish Cleanup Of Conventional Oil Well Spills Or Respond To DEP Violations In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Wilmoth Interests Inc. Improperly Disposed Of Oil-Contaminated Soil From A Spill At An Allegheny National Forest Conventional Well Site In Warren County [PaEN]

-- 88 Abandoned Conventional Wells Inspected For Federal Well Plugging Program